Update 9pm EDT - Following the completion of Thursday's play in Paris, Juan Martin del Potro will qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals if he beats John Isner in Friday's quarter-finals at the Rolex Paris Masters. Juan Martin del Potro continued his march towards a Nitto ATP Finals spot on Thursday when he defeated Robin Haase of the Netherlands 7-5, 6-4 for a place in the Rolex Paris Masters quarter-finals for the third time (also 2009, 2013). The popular Argentine, who was at No. 47 in the Emirates ATP Race To London prior to the start of the US Open, is now up to No. 10 on 2,595 points — only 20 points behind Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta (2,615), who...
It was a disappointing Wednesday for a couple of Nitto ATP Finals contenders. But David Goffin, who is the next player in line to qualify for the year-end finale, continued his push for a first London appearance after playing last season as an alternate. The Belgian managed to battle past an in-form Frenchman playing in front of his home crowd, eliminating Adrian Mannarino, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, in the second round of the Rolex Paris Masters. The victory put Goffin within one match of guaranteeing his spot at The O2 from 12-19 November, as he has to reach the quarter-finals to clinch his year-end finale berth. Next in his path to London will be a home favourite, Julien Benneteau. Goffin won...
It was a busy day in the intense Emirates ATP Race To London at the Rolex Paris Masters on Wednesday. And while one contender maintained his chances of catching Pablo Carreno Busta for the final qualifying spot in the Nitto ATP Finals, two other players' hopes came to an end. Juan Martin del Potro continued his massive surge after beginning the US Open ranked 47th in the Race. The Stockholm winner and Basel finalist cruised past Joao Sousa, 6-2, 6-2, in 62 minutes to move to 19-4 since the start of the year's final Grand Slam. The Argentine can overtake Carreno Busta in the Race standings with a semi-final showing in Paris, and can guarantee his spot in London by...
Rafael Nadal will finish 2017 as year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings after beating Hyeon Chung 7-5, 6-3 on Wednesday in the second round of the Rolex Paris Masters. The 31-year-old Nadal will be the oldest year-end No. 1 and first season-ending No. 1 over the age of 30 since the Emirates ATP Rankings were established in 1973. It is his fourth time finishing atop the Rankings, adding to 2008, 2010 and 2013. Roger Federer has pushed Nadal all the way in the battle to finish atop the rankings, with both players enjoying remarkable comebacks in 2017. But with Federer forced to withdraw from Paris, Nadal needed just one more win to finish No. 1. [ALSO LIKE] “I’m...
Robin Haase has made a flying start to the Rolex Paris Masters. After dismissing Steve Johnson for the loss of just three games in the first round in the French capital, the Dutchman ousted fourth seed Alexander Zverev 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 on Wednesday to reach the third round. The 30-year-old Haase, who reached his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final in the summer in Montreal (l. to Federer), overcame the 20-year-old Zverev in one hour and 33 minutes. The right-hander won 77 per cent of his service points and broke Zverev four times as he set up a clash with either Joao Sousa or Nitto ATP Finals contender Juan Martin del Potro. Zverev will look to cap his standout...